Job Opportunity for Senior Research Associate – Sustainable Landscapes and Restoration at WRI in Delhi

Who we are and what we do?

WRI India, an independent charity legally registered as the India Resources Trust, provides objective information and practical proposals to foster environmentally sound and socially equitable development. WRI India’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations. Through research, analysis, and recommendations, WRI India puts ideas into action to build transformative solutions to protect the earth, promote livelihoods, and enhance human well-being.

We are inspired by and associated with World Resources Institute (WRI), a global research organization. Currently over 250 researchers are working with WRI India in our offices at Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.

Program Overview for Sustainable Landscape and Restoration:

WRI India’s Sustainable Landscapes and Restoration (SLR) program aims to inform India’s just transition towards sustainable and resilient food and land use systems focusing on developing interdisciplinary nature-based solutions like landscape restoration, sustainable agriculture to mitigate climate impacts, enhance jobs and livelihoods and improve nutritional security. To catalyze systems change with a focus on circular food systems in India, we also focus on developing equitable strategies to reduce food loss and waste and mitigate climate impacts.

With broader systems change and food systems perspective, we work with diverse stakeholders like governments, businesses, civil society partners and farmer producer organizations to inform and develop land use strategies based on robust evidence and analysis to build the resilience of local communities to mitigate climate impacts, bridge capacity gaps, monitor progress, and inform a pathway to building a restoration economy for people, nature, and climate.

About your role:

WRI India is looking to recruit a Senior Program Research Analyst, with an advanced degree in development studies, forestry, natural resource management, or related fields and five years of full-time, relevant post-study work experience to deliver capital and capacity to local restoration champions in three states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra working to promote landscape restoration as part of the Restoring Land and Prosperity for People, Nature and Climate in Central India project. You will be most suited to someone who has an interdisciplinary research background in forestry, policy studies, and/or development studies, and someone who is willing to take on the challenge of a new, fast-developing work program. Please note that the position holder must be willing to travel, including in remote areas with difficult terrain.

How your day will unfold:

I. Research and Communications (60%)

• Lead research to understand the characteristics and needs of the pipeline of restoration projects that apply to Harit Bharat Fund’s requests for proposals.
• Liaise with partners and help research the application of carbon, blended, offtake, debt and grant finance for locally led land restoration projects and similar topics.
• Support research and collaborate with all partners to understand how the Harit Bharat Fund can deliver technical assistance to project developers.
• Develop materials, such as FAQs, infographics, slide decks, and user guides that help locally led projects navigate TerraMatch and help partners understand the team’s core processes.
• Support with designing field data collection methodologies and field data collection.
• Support writing, analysis and production of high-quality knowledge products (reports, policy briefs, working papers) that encapsulate research findings.
• Communicate key findings and tell important stories in diverse formats (written articles, interactive story maps, and other media) suitable for stakeholders in government, private and non-government sectors, with a focus on influencing policy and practice.
• Document best practices on success stories from the landscapes.

II. Program Development and Management (20%)

• Contribute towards the program management of the Harit Bharat Fund by supporting in liaising with programmatic partners to ensure that work is conducted smoothly.
• Support in coordination of relationships with project developers of locally led restoration initiatives that receive funding from Harit Bharat Fund, ensuring that they achieve their contractual obligations and submit accurate progress reports on TerraMatch.
• Support in developing strategies and support implementation plans for core Harit Bharat Fund activities (for example, onboarding the cohort, identifying capacity building and mentorship needs, monitoring, reporting and verification, etc.)
• Create guidance materials and design processes to support requests-for-proposals and project management for funded projects.
• Support strategy development and partnership growth (presentations, narratives, budgets) for Harit Bharat Fund and the restoration pillar more widely.
• Develop relationships with important partners including local restoration champions, governments, research organizations and universities, civil society organizations, and corporate sector for implementing and scaling landscape restoration in India.
• Support convenings of multi-partner consultative groups with cohort of local champions, experts, mentors, and others for extending the research and effect of WRI India’s analysis and solutions.

III. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (20%)

• Work with Senior Manager, PMEL and the team to support in monitoring, reporting and verification of projects on both socio-economic and bio-physical indicators, of projects funded under the Harit Bharat Fund.
• Keep MEL data updated for multiple restoration projects in DevResults, and incorporate insights from PMEL processes, to inform research methodology development and to enhance best practices within in the Restoration programme.
• Monitor and evaluate program performance with support from staff.

Qualifications and requirements we seek:

• Master’s degree in development studies, Environmental Governance, Public Policy/Law, Natural Resource Management, or similar fields
• At least 5 years of relevant, full-time, post-study work experience. Experience specifically in the environmental social sciences.
• Knowledge of and experience with quantitative and qualitative tools for both primary and secondary research.
• Knowledge of landscape restoration, forestry, and agriculture is important.
• Demonstrated skills preparing programme documents, reports, policy briefs
• Fluency in spoken and written English and Hindi is essential.
• Ability to synthesize and present complex information, suitable for diverse audiences.
• The candidate is expected to bring exceptional communication skills to support interdisciplinary, inter-programmatic and geographically dispersed teams.
• Ability to work with diverse partner groups.
• Responsible, respectful, and efficient.

Salary and Benefits: INR 11,00,000 to INR 13,00,000 CTC

Salary shall be commensurate with experience and skills. WRI offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package.

Location: New Delhi, India

Duration: The position is a One-year position (extendable based on performance and project requirements). The start date is as soon as possible.

List of Documents to be attached:

• Cover letter
• Resume
• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview purpose.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) @WRI India

WRI India values and promotes diversity, equity and inclusion across all areas of our work and workforce. Integrating these values into our actions fosters a progressive and collaborative culture and can also enhance our impact. It is our responsibility to create a welcoming working environment for people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and experience to learn together. We are responsible for fostering a safe and inclusive workplace where questions, concerns and information about diversity, equity and inclusion are part of our ongoing dialogue and development.